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Iowa City sheriff’s office investigating reports of a car flashing police lights

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Iowa City sheriff’s office investigating reports of a car flashing police lights


IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – There is an investigation after reports of a car following other vehicles on interstate 380 with flashing lights, but it’s not a law officer.

The Johnson County sheriff said the most important thing to do is verify if you’re dealing with an undercover police officer. In this case, the sheriff says it wasn’t an undercover officer.

The driver in the car allegedly following others reached out to the Johnson County Sheriff, who is now investigating.

“I was driving home from Cedar Rapids and I passed that car, and when I did they got behind me and turned on red and blue lights,” said Kaylee Picek, who was followed by the suspicious car.

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She said when she was on her way home the car started flashing what appeared to be police lights. But she didn’t pull over, because something didn’t seem right.

“Then he got behind me and followed me for a while and I called 911 because I was like ‘there’s no way this Red Buick is a police car, there’s no way,’” Picek said.

The 911 operator reassured her the Buick was not part of a police department or sheriff’s office. The car eventually stopped following her.

Sheriff Kunkle said she did the right thing in a confusing moment.

“Especially if it’s an officer from a local agency, they can verify directly over the radio that that is in fact a law enforcement officer,” said Sheriff Brad Kunkle.

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Iowa has laws about which vehicles are allowed to use flashing lights, especially if they’re blue. But Sheriff Kunkle wouldn’t say if the driver of this car will face charges… only that the situation is under investigation.

For Picek, she’s just grateful her drive home ended the way it did.

“If you have any doubts about it, calling 911, calling the police, if it is a police officer, it’s not gonna be a big deal, they’ll just tell you to pull over. And if it isn’t a police officer you might have saved your own life,” Picek said.

Picek said while she doesn’t think her particular situation was likely to become violent, she’s worried it would have become dangerous if she had pulled over.

“I think maybe it might have been some road rage thing. Or more so a power trip thing, he got passed, he didn’t like it. And he wanted to control how other people drove without doing it the proper way.”

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Iowa State basketball Players Era Festival tourney schedule, bracket

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Iowa State basketball Players Era Festival tourney schedule, bracket


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Iowa State basketball will compete in the loaded Players Era Festival this week in Las Vegas.

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The Nov. 24-27 tournament calls itself “The biggest college basketball event outside of March.”

Iowa State begins play Monday, Nov. 24 against St. John’s in a 3:30 p.m. CT contest.

The Cyclones then will play Creighton on Tuesday, Nov. 25 at 1 p.m. CT.

Eugene Rapay’s Cyclone men’s basketball preview

T.J. Otzelberger’s team will play a third game either Wednesday, Nov. 26 or Thursday, Nov. 27. Opponent and time are contingent upon the results of Iowa State’s first two games.

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Here’s a closer look at the tournament:

Players Era Festival men’s basketball schedule

All times CT

Monday, Nov. 24

  • Tennessee vs. Rutgers, Noon, TNT
  • Baylor vs. Creighton, 1 p.m., truTV
  • Kansas vs. Notre Dame, 2:30 p.m., TNT
  • St. John’s vs. Iowa State, 3:30 p.m., truTV
  • Houston vs. Syracuse, 5 p.m., TNT
  • Oregon vs. Auburn, 7 p.m., truTV
  • Alabama vs. Gonzaga, 8:30 p.m., TNT
  • Michigan vs. San Diego State, 9:30 p.m., truTV
  • Maryland vs. UNLV, 11 p.m., TNT

Tuesday, Nov. 25

  • Rutgers vs. Notre Dame, Noon, TNT
  • Iowa State vs. Creighton, 1:00 p.m., truTV
  • Kansas vs. Syracuse, 2:30 p.m., TNT
  • St. John’s vs. Baylor, 3:30 p.m., truTV
  • Houston vs. Tennessee, 5 p.m., TNT
  • Michigan vs. Auburn, 7:30 p.m., TNT
  • Gonzaga vs. Maryland, 8:30 p.m., truTV
  • Oregon vs. San Diego State, 10 p.m., TNT
  • Alabama vs. UNLV, 11 p.m., truTV

Wednesday, Nov. 26

  • Third-place game, 6 p.m., TNT
  • Championship game, 8:30 p.m., TNT

Wednesday Nov. 26 and Thursday Nov. 27

  • Other consolation games will be played Nov. 26-27. Matchups TBD by first two days of competition.

Watch Iowa State basketball on Sling

Players Era Festival tiebreakers

Tiebreakers will be determined by point differential, points scored and points allowed.

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Where will Players Era Festival games be played?

Players Era Festival men’s basketball contests will be held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and the Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas.

Players Era Festival TV and streaming information

  • Players Era Festival games will be televised on TNT and truTV.
  • Players Era Festival games will be streamed on HBO Max.



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Iowa DOT offers ‘Alive at 25′ program for young drivers facing suspensions

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Iowa DOT offers ‘Alive at 25′ program for young drivers facing suspensions


DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) – The Iowa Department of Transportation is working to help drivers facing suspension with a new behavioral education course called “Alive at 25” for drivers on intermediate-level licenses.

“Our goal is to focus on the negative behavior or poor behavior that we’re seeing behind the wheel,” said Vania Boyd, Iowa DOT driver education manager.

Young drivers who have received a second violation have the one-time opportunity to take the course instead of receiving a suspension.

“It’s not a retake of driver’s ed. It focuses on distracted driving, road rage, talks about peer pressure, talks about distractions behind the wheel, and helps guide students on ways to avoid those behaviors,” said Boyd.

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The DOT partnered with the Iowa-Illinois Safety Council, which hosts the four-hour virtual course.

Boyd said from 2024 to 2025, more than 5,500 students on the intermediate level would have been eligible to take the program.

“We saw a lot of connection to speed, students not wearing the seatbelt, a lot of behavioral decisions behind the wheel that we want to correct,” Boyd said.

Lisa Elskamp lost her daughter, Kennedy, and Kennedy’s best friend, Chloe, to an accident involving speed in 2022.

“At one point, us being able to see on Chloe’s Life 360 that he was hit a max speed of 146 miles an hour,” she said.

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After the crash, the families started Forever 17, a nonprofit aimed at speeding safety advocacy and working to change laws to make things more safe.

Elskamp said courses like these are a step in the right direction.

“Speed was never really talked about. Had I known now what I know then, I would have absolutely had my kids take this course just to learn the outcome of your actions,” she said. “This isn’t just about those teen drivers alone. It’s about the effect of what their driving can also do to everybody around them.”

The course is optional and costs $65 to take.

Boyd said they hope to educate new drivers so they can be as confident as possible when behind the wheel.

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“It’s okay that they made a mistake, but it’s even more important to learn from it and to make smarter choices for the future because it’s not just that individual student on the road. There are hundreds of Iowans on the road every day and everybody wants to get home safe,” Boyd said.

The course can also be taken even if the driver doesn’t have a violation on their license. And while it’s geared towards younger drivers, anyone facing a suspension with an intermediate-level license can take the course.

For more information, click here.



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Iowa High School Football UNI-Dome MVPs

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Iowa High School Football UNI-Dome MVPs


Now that the final Iowa high school football state champion has been crowned, it is time to look back on the incredible two-week journey of action we saw from inside the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

The climate-controlled venue was home to all of the semifinal and final action in all seven classifications of Iowa high school football.

And there were plenty of incredible performances and players who took part in the games.

We have narrowed down the list to one MVP in each class for their efforts from the Iowa high school football state semifinals and championship games. And now the job is up to you to determine who was the MVP of the Iowa high school football state championships.

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Cast your vote for your favorite from the nominees below. Voting will run through Friday, November 28 at 11:59 p.m. CST.

Complete recaps from all seven Iowa high school football state championship games can be found on High School on SI.

Ian Middleton, Iowa, high school football

Dowling Catholic’s Ian Middleton (5) runs the ball during the first quarter against Iowa City Liberty on Nov. 21, 2025, at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. / Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ian Middleton was a man against boys in two games from the UNI-Dome, leading the Maroons to their first 5A state football championship and 11th overall in program history. In the finals against Iowa City Liberty, Middleton rushed 34 times for 206 yards, scoring two touchdowns.

In a 14-10 victory over rival Valley in the semifinals, Middleton rushed 29 times for 125 yards. He also caught two passes in the two games.

Carter Hoffmann had the first three touchdowns of the 4A final vs. Pella, finishing the night with 207 yards and three scores on 34 carries as the Saints finished off a perfect season with the state title. 

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In a thrilling 31-24 victory in the semifinals over Newton, Hoffmann rushed 20 times for 130 yards. He also had two catches in the two games.

Austin Waldera, Nevada, Iowa high school football

Nevada’s Austin Waldera (21) dives for the endzone to score a touchdown against the Bishop Heelan Crusaders Nov. 21, 2025 during the Class 3A high school state football championship at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. / Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

And who says that the running back position is dead? Not in Iowa high school football, as our third MVP from the UNI-Dome is another running back in Austin Waldera. In a convincing win over Sioux City Bishop Heelan, Waldera rushed 34 times for 173 yards and a touchdown, averaging 46.5 yards while pinning both of his punts inside the 20. He also led the Cubs with seven tackles, adding two quarterback hurries and a pass breakup.

Waldera also went off in the semis, rushing 36 times for 233 yards and one touchdown while adding 20 yards receiving on a pair of catches. Again, both of his punts were pinned inside the 20, averaging 55.5 per with a 70-yarder. On defense, he again led Nevada, recording 11 tackles, three for loss, a sack and a quarterback hurry.

Brock Badding, Kuemper Catholic, Iowa high school football

Kuemper Catholic’s Brock Badding (12) and Charles Mayhall (15) celebrate in the fourth quarter Nov. 21, 2025 during the Class 2A high school state football championship Van Meter’s at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. / Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Behind Brock Badding, the Knights secured gold, as the signal-caller was 17-for-30 passing for 153 yards with a touchdown in the finals over Van Meter. He also ran for a score and averaged 41.5 yards on four punts, putting two down inside the 20.

In the semifinals, Badding blew up, completing 27 of 38 for 405 yards and six touchdowns, hitting three receivers for two TDs each while four had at least five catches.

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Evan Hildring, West Lyon, Iowa high school football

Iowa City Regina’s Will Litton (45) attempts to tackle West Lyon’s Evan Hildring (15) Nov. 20, 2025 during the Class 1A state football championship at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. / Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Wildcats leaned heavily on Evan Hilding, and he delivered, rushing 26 times for 112 yards and two touchdowns to lead them to a second consecutive state title. He also had three catches for 21 yards and recorded six tackles with one for loss in the finals.

Hildring piled up 174 yards rushing and two touchdowns on just 18 carries in the semifinals, making seven tackles with two sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry.

Eli Harpenau, MMCRU, Iowa high school football

MMCRU’s quarterback Eli Harpenau (12) runs with the ball for a first down against MMCRU during the first quarter in the class-A state football championship on Nov. 20, 2025, at UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. / Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Royals had several worthy contenders, but it was Eli Harpenau who took home the hardware. In the finals, he was a precise 14 of 21 passing for 169 yards and a touchdown, adding 44 yards rushing and a second score. 

Harpenau had a big semifinal performance, going 9 of 17 for 212 yards and four touchdowns, while also rushing for a team-high 53 yards.

Tate Foertsch, Bishop Garrigan, Iowa high school football

Bishop Garrigan quarterback Tate Foertsch (7) celebrates after touchdown against Woodbine during the fourth quarter in the 8-players state football championship on Nov. 20, 2025, at UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. / Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There was not much that the Golden Bear senior didn’t do in earning his second state title in three years, as Tate Foertsch scored the game-winning two-point conversion in the finals to cap an incredible rally. He was 9 of 13 passing for 131 yards, rushing 36 times for 157 yards and three scores. On defense, Foertsch had four tackles and a pass breakup.

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In the semifinals, Foertsch was 4-for-5 for 80 yards, with three of those completions going for touchdowns. He ran 15 times for 73 yards and had three more scores, recording 5.5 tackles with an interception on defense.

High School on SI voting polls are meant to be a fun, lighthearted way for fans to show support for their favorite athletes and teams. Our goal is to celebrate all of the players featured, regardless of the vote totals. Sometimes one athlete will receive a very large number of votes — even thousands — and that’s okay! The polls are open to everyone and are simply a way to build excitement and community around high school sports. Unless we specifically announce otherwise, there are no prizes or official awards for winning. The real purpose is to highlight the great performances of every athlete included in the poll.



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